Pyroxylin compound



' UNITED STATES PATENT OF I JOHN H. STEVENS, OF NEX'YARK, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO THE GELLULOID COMPANY, OF NEVY' YORK, N. Y, A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

PYROXYLiN COM POU ND.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters r atent N 0. 572,134, dated December 1, 1896.

Original spulications'filed July 26, 1895, Serial No. 557,236, and November 7, 1895, Serial No. 568,212. Divided and this application filed August 22,1896. Serial N- 603,658. (No specimens.)

To all whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JOHN H. STEVENS, a ci tizen of the United States, residing in the city of Newark, coun ty of Essex, and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements -in Pyroxylin Compounds, of

which improvements the following is a speci-' fication.

The various compositions to which the presto cut invention relates are employed in the arts mainly as imitations of substances, and consist of soluble pyroxylin combined with or dissolved in certain other substances or menstrna known as solvents of pyroxylin. Al

though the final or useful form of the differ- 'ent compounds of this class is that of a solid or dried material, the different processes of conversion into this final solid form involve, as is well understood, the employment of py- 2o roxylin solutions or mixtures of varying consistency as to plasticity, stillness, orfluidity, dependent generally upon the proportion and kind of solvent used to the amount of pyroxylin.

2 5 There are two classes of solvents, liquid solvents, of which wood-spirit is a good'example, and solid solvents, of which camphor is a good representative. Solvent mixtures are also formed by combining two or more substances 0 with each other. The components of the mixed solvent in such a case may, not necessarily be possessed of individual solvent power. For instance, alcohol, which is practically a non-solvent in itself, forms a good 5 solvent mixture when camphor is dissolved in it. The various applications of this important art require the employment of complex mixtures in the solvent, single substances being rarely used for such purposes. Ilence while the advancement of the art has, as is well known, depended largely on the discovery and application of new sin gle-solvent substances, yet it hasrequired also the invention of combinations of solvents, by which efiects 5 are produced quite different from those produced when single solvents are employed alone.

The action of 'solid solvents is quite distinct from that of liquids in that the solid solvent after the seasoning or dryingof the material remains a part of the finished product and gives the property of plasticity under heat,

as is well understood. Although numerous solid solvents have been discovered and applied camphor is still regarded as a'solvcnt of 5 5 great importance in this art, notwithstanding the difiiculties attending itsuse. IIence special attention has been directed to so modifying the action of thecainphor that its excellent solvent powers and other characteristics difference, however, between the volatility of thecamphor and the liquid menstruum or menstrua employed with it that it is diflicult to control the plastic properties by such means, because the relative proportion of calnphor and liquid solvent varies according to the conditions of evaporation or seasoning.

It is the object of thilpresent invention to form pyroxylin compounds in such a man-' ner thattheir plasticity will be independent of the presence of liquids in the compounds.

To accomplish this, I employ, in conjunction 8 5 with the camphor, certain other solid substances which I have discovered possess thepower to form, with camphor and pyroxylin,

a compound which is plastic at lower telnperatures than if they were omitted. These solid substances combine with the camphor to form a solid solvent; thatis, a solid which, when melted by means of, heat, dissolves py--' roxyli np The group of substances which-l employ for this purpose while possessing the common property of forming useful solvents in conjunction with camphor, yet have varying individual characteristics, which they int .L part to a certain extent tothe pyroxyln'r conrpounds. The group to'which refer emf 10a This is a colorless crystalline substance and can be used for colorless products.

Naphtholbenzoateor benzonaphthol,(0,,,ll,. 0C0.0,,ll,-,:) This is analogous to-betol and occurs in colorless crystals. It can be used in colorless products. Betol and naphtho'lbenzoate form pyroxylin compounds which,

when seasoned, are possessed of more moderate plasticity -underheat, as a rule, than mixtures made with other members of this group.

Salacetol or salicyiacetol, C HAOIDCO C 11 00011 This is a salol compound, and while it resembles salol in its action with camphor it possesses the additional advantage of being a solvent in itself when melted by means of heat. It also forms colorless products.

Benzoic anhydrid, (0 11 0 2) This is a derivative of the hydrated aromatic acid known as benzoic acid. I employ this substance in transparent materials, unless the pigments used to color the compound are of such a nature that they will not chemically unite with the benzoic anhydrid.

I have discovered that bcnzoic anhydrid is a solvent of pyroxylin when melted by means of heat. It is easily soluble in wood-spirit and acetone, especially the latter.

For additional information as to the state of the art and the various manipulations to which pyroxylin compounds are subjected I refer to my United States Patents Nos. 51 7,987, 542,692, and 543,197.

A mixture of camphor with any one memher or combination of dilferent members of the group enumerated can be substituted for camphor or other solid solventsemployed in manufacturing pyroxylin compounds and in the same proportions that are employed when camphor alone is used as the solid solvent.

As tothe proportions to be used, the substances herein specified as' solvents in themselves can be used in larger proportions rela tively to the camphor than those which are non-solvent; but I have found practically that satisfactory results are obtained by employing three or four parts of camphor, to one part of any one member or to one part of a mixture of two or more of the members of the group of substances, but theseproportions maybe varied. \Vhen usingsalol, I sometimes decrease the proportion of'camphor, (employing two parts of the camphor to one part of the salol,) which gives very good plasticity in the dried product. Even more of the salacetol can be employed. Many of these substances are of ditficult solubility in the ordinary liquid menstrua employed in this art, but I have found that when mixed with camphor in about the proportions given they are sufficiently soluble for practical work. The employment of my new solvents is not incompatible with the use of other solvents in connection with them, should the necessities of the case require such mixtures.

The salacetol and the benzoie anhydrid are with one or more members of the specified group of new substances, any heating of these compounds when in a dry or seasoned condition, even in the presence of liquid solvents, (the liquid solvent being insufiicient in itself to give the desired plasticity to the compound,) is a use of the solvents of this specification. It is also true that, regardless of the process used or in what order the ingredients are mixed, the presence at any time of my new solvents in the com-pound imparts, properties to such compound which it would not otherwise possess and is autili-.

zation of my invention. I do not confine myself, therefore, to the use of any particu' lar proportions of the substances embraced in the group of my new solvents nor to any particular method'in' which they are used in pyroxylin compounds. The result of my mixtures is a fluid solution or plastic mass, either of which, when properly applied, manipulated, or formed into shape and then dried by allowing the liquid solvent to evaporate, becomes a hard pyroxylin compound capable of being softened or formed into new shapes by the aid of heat and pressure in the customary manner. By the application of heat or heat and pressure to the manipulation of these compounds I mean such operations as are commonly used in this art-to mold or shape the seasoned or partly-seasoned product, whether it be by shaping in hot water, or forcing under heat through stufling machinery, or molding in heated dies,'or manipulation in heated rolls, or any analogous method.

This application is a division of my original application filed November], 1895, Serial No. 568,212, and a rearrangement or regrouping of my solvents has caused me to separate salacetol from my original application filed July 26, 1895, Serial No. 557,236.

Having thus described myinvention, what Iclaim, anddesire to'secure by Letters Patcut, is-

The process of manufacturing pyroxylin compounds which consists in combining pyroxylin with camphor and one or more members of the hereinbefore-specified deriv.

572,134 v f a,"

;tives of crystalline aromatic acids (salacetol, -loetol, naphtholbenzoate, salol and benzoic anhydrid),land afterward subjecting the mixture to heat and pressure sufficient to render the compound plastic, substantially as .de-

scribed.

2. The process of manufacturing pyroxylin compounds which consists in mixing pyroxylin with camphor, one or more members of the hereinbefore-specified derivatives of crystalline aromatic acids (salol, betol, naphtholbenzoate, salacetol and benzoic anhy- (lrid) and a liquid menstruum or liquid menstrua, and afterward subjecting the mixture to'heat and pressure sufficient to render the compound plastic, substantially as described.

3. A new composition of matter consisting of pyroxylin, camphor and one or more members of the hereinbefore-specified derivatives of crystalline aromatic acids (salol, betol,

naphtholbenzoate, salacetol and benzoic anhydrid) substantially as set forth.

4. The process of manufacturing compounds of pyroxylin which consists in intimately mixing pyroxylin, camphor, one or more of the hereinbefor'e-sp'ecified deriva- .as described.

6 As a new composition of matter, a pyroxylin compound containing pyroxylin and one or more members of the hereinbeforespecified derivatives of crystalline aromatic acids (salol, betol, naphtholbenzoate,'salacetol and benzoic anhydrid).

In witness whereof I have hereunto sig edmy name this 29th day of July, 1896.

' JOHN H. STEVENS. In presence of- I ABRAHAM MANNERS, PETER J. GALLEN. t 

